A Study in the Great Game
by DisappearingKangaroo
Summary: One-Shot. A look at all of the characters in The Great Game TGG and their reactions to the events that took place.


**A/N I've written three stories about the Great Game (not published), but all of them were really bad, until I wrote this one which is reasonably better, but by no means great.**

 **For those of you who have read "Sending My Regards", John's dream in chapter three came from one of my non published stories.**

 **Disclaimer: Sadly, I'm just writing about characters that I don't own in a show that I don't own.**

The Five Pips was something that no one wanted to experience ever again. And "no one" meant basically everyone. The only exception of this would be Consulting Criminal, Jim Moriarty

But everyone else is quite fine with never having anything like this.

Post mortem specialist, Molly Hooper had seemingly died via embarrassment after a) She can't even pick out a straight boyfriend, though this mattered little to her because: b) said boyfriend turned out to be a psychopath targeting the man that she's really _really_ not falling for. She's definitely not falling for a certain Holmes, if that's what you're thinking…

The mortician didn't go to work for a few days after this, and refused to date anyone else through work. Not to mention that she gained an extra 2.5 (3) pounds during her time with Jim from IT. Though she did not have it as bad as some people.

Pip #1 had a hell of a time, and an experience she never wants to happen again. Being strapped to semtex in a car is fun and all… But for now the domestic life is better. After a couple of weeks away from work, a few nightmares, and some chats with her husband, she eventually got over it. Though she did not have it as bad as some people.

Detective Inspector Gregory Lestrade swears his hair became a thousand times more grey due to this case. Although he tries not to focus on it while he shaves. He slept very little during the time of this case, and only went home to his family once. It's these times where he almost doesn't blame his wife for cheating. Almost.

And then the kid… it had to be a sodding kid. Greg knew that at that moment, his stress and anxiety levels haven't been raised so high in his entire life. And Sherlock had to wait until literally the last second to save the kid. Even in Sherlock's standards, he'd been told to 'shut up' more times than any other case. Bloody useful that is. Though even with Greg's greyed hair, he did not have it as bad as some people.

Sergeant Sally Donovan proved her hypothesis of Sherlock Bloody Holmes being a Freak in this case. But don't think for one minute that this fact made this case anything close to 'okay'. Or even 'tolerable' for that matter. But no, the Freak really proved himself this time. All he did was solve the mysteries, then hand that phone oever. So who had to calm all of these people strapped in bombs? Sally.

And Christ, Carl Powers' murder was ages ago! It's absolutely ridiculous that the Freak was solving cases that long ago! When the case was finally over, Sally unlocked her flat, walked all the way to the sofa, and slept for twelve hours straight. Although, she did not have it as bad as some people.

Pip #2 almost couldn't believe what happened. Forced to stand in a public place, with bombs stuck to his _new_ parka. Forced to stand there for hours, staring at his phone, reading alarming texts. Until finally he could ask for help, beg for help to the voice on the other side.

After a woman claiming to be with Scotland Yard found him, he fainted. After that he threw away his phone and the clothes he was wearing that day. And after some coaxing from his fiancé, he saw a therapist. Though even he did not have it as bad as some people.

Dear old Mrs (not your housekeeper) Hudson had quite the scare during this case. She knew the signs of a case, and woke to Sherlock at ghastly hours of the night, but soon it escalated. Talks about poisons, and of poor boys drowning, keeping things on the table. Soon enough London's finest officers were all up and about in her flats. And running up those stairs all the time… Oh, her poor hip had to take the abuse.

The worst part for her though, was someone breaking into her empty flat. Just for a game with Sherlock! Oh, she loves Sherlock, don't get her wrong, but now she'll never get anyone interested in that flat. Although she did not have it as bad as some people.

Pip #3 was an intelligent woman. At the ripe age of 94 years young, she knew how the world works, and the types of people inside of it. Sher didn't need to see to tell that the position she was in was a bad one.

So when she finally got to speak for herself, she knew the right thing to do. And so she told the man on the other end how the other man's voice sounded. She was not an idiot, she knew that her time was going to be over soon enough. She she is satisfied that the last things she ever said was worth it, even if it ended her life. Despite this, she did not have it as bad as some people.

Mycroft Holmes: British Government, had to cancel three dinners (one of them with the French embassador) because of his little brother. He'd heard of Jim Moriarty before this of course, how could one not, but he wished that Sherlock wouldn't get into his damned life. All he wanted was the missile plans, but instead he ended up with a closed pool and some bombs.

And then there's the matter of cleaning up his brother's mess, like always, Sherlock really doesn't care for his actions, just that it gets the job done and the case solved. Not even to mention the memory stick at the bottom of the pool. Though he did not have it as bad as some people.

Pip #4 botherd most people more than the others. To have a child forced to read a psychopath's words, surrounded by explosives. Scotland Yard was all over. But the poor child, he didn't know what to do. Just follow the instructions: read the words and say nothing else. Three days later he found himself in the office of a well known child psychiatrist with his parents. Though he did not have it as bad as some people.

The person who was least bothered by this (until the end) would be Sherlock Holmes. This all just started as an extraordinarily interesting case. Finally someone with his type of brain would play with him. It just started as the case that Sherlock had been waiting for. Soon he figured out many things about this bomber.

Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective, had one of the worst times during this case. It started off of course, as a challenging game, someone that finally matched Sherlock's level of intelligence. Mr. Moriarty, soon to be knows as the Consulting Criminal, had finally posed a threat to Sherlock that actually made him think. Although this great case eventually became one of his least favourites. From a 10 to a 1.

The reason being because Jim Moriarty had thought out everything. It was like playing chess against a robot that could predict one hundred moves ahead. Nearly impossible to beat, and yet Sherlock simply couldn't walk away from this. It was an addiction. A monstrous one at that, but definitely an addiction. Just as his flatmate is addicted to the rush of adrenaline (however much he won't admit it), Sherlock is addicted to these cases. He needs the stimuli, and he has since been banned from cocaine and cigarettes.

The younger Holmes had quite the time playing along with Moriarty's games, refusing to get out of his way, and slowly figuring out who he was. It made Moriarty laugh, when he played Jim from IT and Sherlock completely ignored him. That's when he knew he had to do something- when John answered for him. Take his pet, and Sherlock will come galloping after him. To think that Sherlock doesn't care.

Just as that was the precise moment that Moriarty knew how to get to Sherlock, it was the moment that Sherlock began to suspect something rather peculiar in this case. This case had many levels to it, causing him to carve out each little bit of case until he got to the middle. Which was horrible, because when he finally found the centre of all of this case, John was there.

Asking him if this was quite the turn up. Sherlock's brain crumbled down for a second there. How could he have not suspected it?! His own flatmate, criminal mastermind of London. Everything that he thought he knew was wrong. Loyal John, psychosomatic limp John, turns out to be his mortal enemy. But then- "What would you like me to make him say next?". And all that caused was Sherlock's world crumbling down in a whole different way.

Because he felt this strange feeling of worry… Which didn't make sense. Sherlock Holmes does _not_ feel these emotions. He's sworn by it since he was little. Because caring isn't an advantage. But then why does he feel these damned emotions? So much of his brain is being used in regards to John. Concern for him. He isn't used to this. Perhaps he'll ask John about it afterward. So Sherlock, who has discovered all of these new emotions thanks to this case, almost had it as bad as a certain other person, who many people didn't think much of.

Doctor John Watson, formerly Captain of the Northumberland Fusiliers, who no one thinks of. The pet of Sherlock's, the sidekick of Sherlock's, the doctor of Sherlock's, the flatmate of Sherlock's… But never his own person. This never really bothered him, not much bothers him since he came back from the army, but still, no one thought of him as his own person. That can annoy a man. Which is the exact reason why this case bothered him so much. Besides the fact that this man was strapping bombs to children.

But because Jim Moriarty was the first person to realize that John was a different person from Sherlock. Moriarty went after John, not Sherlock, for the sole reason of using him in the psychopath's games. The first person that really cared about him since he came from the army is the man that's terrorizing London.

Kidnapped while going to Sarah's, John was finally noticed as someone other than Sherlock Holmes' _something_. Granted, he is called a pet, but Moriarty went after him specifically. In the back of John's mind, he felt a small bit of pride.

Everything else that happened after he was kidnapped was awfully traumatizing. He wouldn't say anything about it, of course not. Being forced to repeat Moriarty's words, while having multiple snipers on him, as well as bombs in a parka is not exactly the night out he was expecting.

So the second Moriarty left he staggered a bit until collapsing against the wall. Physically he was just fine, a few bruises from the short scuffle with Moriarty's men, but really he was just dandy. But the mental weight of everything that had happened in the past hour had caused his collapse. Just to spice things up, Moriarty came back, talking more, before the flatmates simply 'lucked out' from a phone call. Which wasn't really true, Moriarty had thought out every tiny little detail that needed to be figured out there was no luck in this case. The phone call, the snipers, the fact that the bombs and jacket would be closer to him… Everything was planned out. So when he left, he left with a smile on his face. Because ultimately, he won this battle.

But then came the statements that he hand Sherlock had to give to Lestrade, and John was forced to relive it all. Explain how he got kidnapped on the way to Sarah's (shite, he still needs to call Sarah), how Moriarty's men roughed him up a bit, then bombs-

And at that point John fell to the ground, needing water, and enough sleep to last a lifetime. Lestrade had promised to get his statement later, then swiftly sent him into a cab back to Baker Street. That night John slept for fourteen hours straight, without nightmares, or any type of dream.

The next morning he vowed that he'd some way or another end Moriarty. He was determined, which unfortunately was the wrong thing to do. Because Moriarty is one hundred moves ahead, and if anyone is ending him, it's going to be himself.

 **A/N Please take just a second of your time to review, it really, really makes my day, even if it's just two words!**


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